A series of new planned developments in Bentonville has planned — or has already been put into action — is adding new life for its downtown area. The Thrive apartments are set to open by the end of this year in what the city calls its Arts District.

From highways to airports, from homes to banks, from dining to the arts, the Wal-Mart presence is felt mightily in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area anchored by the three cities plus Wal-Mart’s home in Bentonville.